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I'm just looking forward to riding my bike in the woods for 6 hours 🙂
This is at least making my being unable to breathe properly yet a little less frustrating. Apparently there is a bit more singletrack than you rode last night Pete, it follows the old final descent run before forking off to Coldean. I understand there was an issue with marshalling and use of the upper section of the park, hence the changes but there is so much excellent singletrack in Stanmer that going down a fireroad just doesn't make sense. If we'd had some notice we could easily have cut some new singletrack lines avoiding fireroad sections if there weren't already existing trails in place.
Mother ******. Have just found out my team-mate is out with an injury. So, do I just solo it? The state I'm in at the moment, I'm pretty sure that would actually kill me stone dead.
presumably you need to change category to solo, team races usually have a rule of a minimum number of laps per team member in order for the result to count
or find a new partner
^^what Mattjg said^^
Each team member usually has to complete at least one lap.
Afternoon all,
I went up into the park on Monday. Wow, those trails were slippery :O) Tyre pressure is going to be important as well if there's anymore rain. If it stays warm and dry I'd think it will ride beautifully. 29 x 2.4 Ardents for me at pinch puncture pressure (got away with it)
Say hello on Saturday as I'll be your "meet and greet" as you drive in to the car park. Yes you can leave space for an easy up, no you can't reserve a space for your mate who's stuck on the M25 as he got up late and yes I do like jaffa cakes and coffee if you have an unusual parking requirement :O)
Tim "parking beatch to the masses" Burden
*resolves to ride over*
😉
I'll find you at some point Luke!
😈
The BBC are predicting dry till Sunday.
Bring your mud tyres then 😕
Doing a quick scoot around of the new course on Thursday PM with Paceman - will let you know my findings.
Assume the word tough will be in there.
Amazed there will be downhill fire road sections - must be some good reason.
Hi guys,
I've ridden the course (it was my Strava trace linked earlier) and I can't think of any sections that descend on fire roads?? Unless there's been some dramatic changes to the course in the last couple of weeks...
The first (actually second) climb is pretty steep although I don't think that it is any harder than the previous rooty climb out of Coldean. It also has the advantage of being wider which should allow for passing if there are people walking. I think that there was also a plan to cut out the first really steep bit if the weather did take a turn for the worse.
rich
Rich got to disagree regarding the first climb. In my opinion its considerably tougher than the old coldean climb.
I guess these things are to some extent subjective but i found the new climb very hard indeed.
Unless i went up the wrong hill of course!
Anyone else had a crack at it.
Maybe it is tougher then. To my mind it was a little bit steeper but with far fewer roots. I guess that it is longer before it completely levels off whereas for the Coldean climb, once you got to the bridge that was it...
I was also going off the yardstick of only just being able to clear them both on the singlespeed (on a good day...)
I'd planned to walk up the steep Coldean rooty climb as I thought they were running it the 'old' way so walking some of this one instead won't appreciably add to my lap times.
It's gonna hurt either way, wouldn't expect any less.
Looking forward to riding the woods for six hours, checking out the bikes and enjoying the BigDog vibe 🙂
I was also going off the yardstick of only just being able to clear them both on the singlespeed (on a good day...)
Hmmm, still pondering taking my SS ... is this Rich bloke "properly fit" or "normal"?
you can see his Strava times if you follow the big dog segment link and see other stuff he's done - will give you an idea of where he is in relation to other local riders?
can't tell from http://app.strava.com/segments/4680449 which rider Rich is, number 1 or number 13 presumably. Likely he's proper quick. Well done Rich.
I know the current number 6 (56:38), he's very fast.
suspect rich is very fast / fit if he can go up there on a ss.
I suspect the clue's in the P.
Rich you are Il Pinguino and I claim my individually wrapped chocolate covered biscuit.
[looks out of window]
Tis raining again in Lewes.
Indeed I'm the first on that list (however I had the advantage of not having to stop and work out which way the route went...)
I imagine the really fast guys will be a good 5 minutes faster than that on Saturday.
I'm doing the 6 hour solo (on 1x10 rather than SS though...)
That wasn't a flying lap, for starters everyone had to wait for me until my injury-damaged body gave up! Tony is quick - and no. 13 is Woodsman on here too, not Rich. I think that climb is possible on a singlespeed if you can find the grip but unless you're very fast it'll probably work out quickest over the lap if you run it and give your pedalling muscles a rest, whatever you're on; apparently that's against the spirit of XC racing though! 😛
apparently that's against the spirit of XC racing though
pfffff
No Singlespeeder Fears Walking
Have to say the idea of people wanting to do it on a singlespeed doesn't fit with my take on sanity. Any idea what the course will be like on a 150mm full suss, as I'll be riding? Not an ideal bike and I can't lock out the rear shock but will make do and have fun whatever happens.
in the dry it'll be ok as long as you don't mind taking your time on the climbs you'll be ok.
There's nothign too challenging but at least you'll get knackered in comfort.
It's running fast and smoooooth today 8)
haha - don't take any notice of the strava listings for our group last night, we were stopping and gassing whilst the rest of the group caught up. I'm sure Pengy's time is super quick though.
I'm glad in a way that they have changed the route, just don't know how they've managed to make it so dull with all that's on offer. I bet it will be different next year is my last word on it!
Enjoy, and I'll be watching that hill - the onder lap temptation has all but passed sort of. 😉
woodsman - Memberhaha - don't take any notice of the strava listings for our group last night, we were stopping and gassing whilst the rest of the group caught up. I'm sure Pengy's time is super quick though.
And along with CGG's early bail and my technical fork up in Coldean, the guys would have lost more time waiting.
Just finished riding the new course tonight. I managed to get the KOM, but don't expect that to last too long. I reckon the whippets will be getting close to 25 mins on race day. Had to mention the KOM as its such a short lived glory!
I reckon it's only slightly harder than previous years and probably a little less fun, in terms of technical singletrack. The steep climb at the start is hard but I would say not really more so than either Badgers or the one out of Coldean. It's over quickly and as long as you get a clean run at it probably easier as no off camber or roots to worry about. The hard bit will be on the first lap when it becomes a choke point.
I have to say riding up A&E trail seems like sacrilege given how good it is but I'm guessing the course designers have other concerns so had to sacrifice something. I like the fact it's shorter.
Up A&E trail !!!! 😯
Alex, Pete, Nick, Richp & Luke. My route options were veoted. I'm sure you can guess what I wanted more of, smiles not miles!!
I do agree, the fit xc riders will like this years course much more than previous ones and I suspect us mortals wont stand a chance but hey-ho such is life.
Decision to change the course and direction wasn't taken lightly, it was done to mix it up as there is a feeling within the organisers, echoed by Pete Woodsman's comments etc, that the previous route was becoming too well known and sections that were singletrack 5 years ago are now almost motorways. Also, there are restrictions as to what can be done in a public park. Locals Stanmer rides tend to be singletrack bashes, its just that a race cannot be an extended locals ride.
It's a local event and putting it on is a lot of work. Support it and give feedback afterwards (not through this forum), ask how at the Morvelo tent.
getting away from course discussion am getting very excited now.
we are very lucky to have big dog and I know how much work it takes.
would a blast tomorrow be a good or bad idea.
So based on above - a pair of distinctly average males, we'll be looking at about 8 or 9 laps I'd guess. 45 mins each is 8 exactly; to complete 9 in 6 hours means a 40 min average. Just trying to work out how many bottles and gels to mix so I don't have to carry too much (travelling light.....)
Jon enough for 3 hours racing each.
Nick:
we are very lucky to have big dog and I know how much work it takes.
absolutely
would a blast tomorrow be a good or bad idea.
whatever you feel like is the best idea, we're not pro atheletes it probably makes little difference to the outcome
would a blast tomorrow be a good or bad idea.
Yep, see you later buddy 😀
Need to work out whether I need to put a granny ring back on or not. I suspect not if it stays dry.
Thanks for the explanation Mike.
[i]sections that were singletrack 5 years ago are now almost motorways[/i]
I thought that - the 'descending on fire roads' accusation could equally be leveled at some of the singletrack in the Great Wood 😉
I really don't have a problem with the course, however it's laid out, the initial climb was a bit of a surprise but I'm over that. I suspect it's only locals that are fretting anyway and anyone wanting to string the Stanmer singletrack together into the funnest 6 hour ride wouldn't stay in that part of the park anyway - not an option that the oranisers have.
My main reason for riding is to challenge myself to ride an organised event for 6 hours and do the best I can on the day, the course going one way or another isn't really that big a deal. I suspect most people riding solo are doing it for the same reasons, not in the hope of getting on a podium.
The only comments I'll be making on the day and afterwards are likely to be 'thanks guys, that was great!' 🙂
Flipping BBC forecasting rain for B'ton for Friday morning now 🙄
That aside I'm sort of kind of, in a way, starting to look a bit forward to it I guess....
Quick Q for anyone who knows;
Riding Solo - can I plonk a box of bottles and a few spares near the transition area or do I just need to head off into the woods and find a secret spot to stash them?
hi,
most people in our group have a big plastic box (with name on it) which we leave by our van and tent thing next to the course. Luckily we have been right on the course each year (we get there early). This is about a 100 yards after the start zone. basically we cycle right past it, step of the course and pick up what we need and then go again - if we can be bothered after the first lap 🙂
The transition area itself is really quite busy with lots of spectators and riders so its not the obvious place to leave your stuff.
You are brighton mtb right. You can leave your box with ours and you should be good.
give me a ring if you want 07813947674 if you are happy with that.
course is sounding ok to me and a change might be nice over the last 2 years 🙂
I'll be trying to keep up with Gee and Richp et al in the Strada kit on a chinese 29er...
Hi, really glad to hear that everyone's looking fwd to it. We're super excited with the new course.
The solo pit lane will be tighter for space this year because of the route being used back into the arena. We will be trying to squeeze more cars into a smaller area and we'll insist this year (unlike previous years) that that area is for solo's only and we'd prefer you to pit using the back of the car or a box rather than a gazebo in that area - but we'll see how it goes. Please bear with us - the layout is new for us too and we genuinely need to configure it in a way that works for the majority.
We're marking and taping the course from 11 tomorrow - please look ahead for us and add time to stop and day 'hi' - the actual day passes so quickly and we don't always get the chance to spend time with everyone despite being on site between 6am and 22pm (last year anyway).
Still looking for general help in the Arena area if anyone's at a loose end (my email is in my profile). And Rory, Nigel and me are trying to ride as a team of 3 this year - say 'hello' if you see us on the course.
Woof woof!
Riding Solo - can I plonk a box of bottles and a few spares near the transition area or do I just need to head off into the woods and find a secret spot to stash them?
watching the solo nutters last year, they just stashed their bottles and spares on the drag out of the start/finish arena.
watching the solo nutters last year...
Hmmm that's worrying as I'm signed up 6hr solo 😆
thanks darkycan - OK if I see how it goes on the day and drop my box with the BrightonMTB crew if I don;t get a space in the solo bit?
Cheers
Luke
A few questions - Our first Big Dog...nervously excited
1) from the above I am reading that your car boot will be your pit "garage" in the pit lane? Is that correct? Do most people have an accompanying tent or picnic blanket?
2) Are there any trade guys there selling the usual things that I destroy in races (10 speed chains and 29er tyres!)
3) Can Richp be made to race on his sisters shopping bike?